Jackson Police Department officers were dispatched to the bank at 1712 E. Michigan Ave. about 11:15 a.m. Wednesday. The bank was roped off with yellow police tape as detectives and officers interviewed witnesses and collected evidence from inside the bank.

Jackson police search for robbery suspectJackson police with assistance from the Michigan State Police K9 unit and Jackson County Sheriff's Office are looking for a suspect who stole an undisclosed amount of money from First Merit Bank on E. Michigan Avenue.

Police said witnesses at the scene indicated the robber ran north on Pleasant Street and was seen getting into a gray Dodge station wagon near Ganson Street and Elm Avenue, Lt. Elmer Hitt said.

Shortly after the robbery, Lt. Christopher Simpson said two detectives were inside the bank talking to witnesses and looking for fingerprints.

Tammy Southworth, who lives in the area, said she saw a man exit the bank and run down the street. She did not know the bank was robbed until she saw police arrive moments later and begin taping off the area.

“He went right down the sidewalk and kept going,” said Southworth, who added she was not concerned about living near a bank that had been robbed.

Other residents who live near the bank think the robbery was “scary," especially since this is not the first time this location was robbed.

“After
the robberies (in 2012), they had a security guard,” Cindy Powers said,
adding after a couple months there was no more security guard.

Powers, Jeri Parrish and Henry Smith were standing outside their residences talking about Wednesday's robbery as the Michigan State Police K9 Unit searched the area.

Powers said she thought it would be safe living next to a bank, but is now concerned with it being hit before.

Parrish, who has a newborn baby, said it is unnerving that the bank was robbed.

“It’s scary, especially raising a newborn,” Parrish said. “I was feeding (the baby) when I saw the police lights. I didn’t know what was going on.”

The investigation is ongoing. The Jackson Police Department is being assisted by the Michigan State Police and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.

Simpson said the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been notified of the robbery and agents are on their way. The FBI was contacted because the bank is a federal bank. Simpson said he expects the investigation will be a partnership between the Jackson Police Department and the FBI.